William lawrence turner



UNITED STATES PATENT cation,

WILLIAM LAWRENCE TURNER, F AT'HERSTONE, AND HAROLD ALEXANDRE BLACKWELL, OF BISPHAM, BLACKPOOL, ENGLAND.

MANUFACTURE OF METAL ALLOYS.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, W1:LL1AM LAWRENCE TURNER and HAROLD ALEXANDRE BLACK- WELL, subjects of the King of England, and residing at Atherstone, 1n the county of ,Warwick, England, and Bispham, Blackpool, in the county of Lancaster, England,

constituents, the object is also to reduce respectively, have invented Improvements in or Connected with the Manufacture of Metal Alloys, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the manufacture of metals, metal alloys, and ferro-alloys, such as chromium, tungsten, manganese, and other metals, ferro-chromium, ferro-vanadium, ferro-titanium, ferro-tungsten, and ferro'man'ganese, and similar ferro alloys, by the process generally'termed the alumino-thermic process, wherein aluminium, silicon, magnesium, calcium, and the like, are used as reducing metals, such metals being intimately mixed with the ores, oxids, sulfids, chlorids, or salts of the metals or alloys to be produced; and for convenience in stating this invention, it will be assumed that aluminium constitutes the reducing metal used, this metallic aluminium being the one which is the more commonly employed.

In the alumino-thermic process, in order to secure the chemical reaction taking place in a satisfactory manner, the reducing metal is used in a finely, or more or less finely,

divided state, in which form an intimate mixture may be made with the said ores,

oxids, etc., which are generally more or less also in a finely divided state.

Aluminium in a granulated or powdered state, is customarily of a high degree of com mercial purity, and is generally recognized in the trade as containing 98 to 99 per cent; and it is very expenslve,

of pure aluminium, and consequently the metals, ferro-alloys, of the kind referred to,

metal alloys, or which are produced, are correspondingly expensive,

and the object of this invention is to produce them at a substantially less cost; and

in the case of such metals, metal alloys, or ferro-alloys being employed, in the production of other alloys, in which they will form cost of manufacture of such alloys. One species of the alloys duced is steel alloys, as for instance high speed tool steels, and similar steels, the price Specification of Letters Patent.

the

to be ultimately 'promaeed ov. 11, 1919.

Application filed January 7, 1918. Serial No. 210,698.

of which at present is very high, and which it 1s desired to produce at a lower cost.

Accordlng to this invention, instead of ium as the reducing metal, we-employ alloys of aluminium containin zinc, copper, 1ron, etc.; the available'su 5y of which is abundant, compared Witlit 6 available supply of the more or less 'connnercially pure metallic aluminium, and the of which is much lower than the more or less commercially pure metallic aluminium.

It is well known that it has'lieen proposed to usealloys of aluminium with magnesium,

' using the commercially pure metalli alumillcopper, iron, etc., do not in all cases, or

necessarily take part in the reduction process or reaction, and may, in general, be regarded simply as impurities, and that the efiect of their presence does not materially affect or interfere with the metal or alloy being produced.

The aluminium alloys to which this invention refers are those generally containing about from 65 to 97 per cent. of aluminium. Nevertheless the aluminium alloy used, besides containing zinc, copper, iron, or other metal alloys, may contain percentages or traces of magnesium, silicon, calcium, or the like.

As stated, we have found that the said aluminium alloys can be used in the alumino-thermic process for the production commercially of said metals, alloys, or ferroalloys thereof, satisfactorily; especially in cases where it is desired to produce metals,

alloys, or ferro-alloys, which do not require purpose to which it is ultimately desired to put it.

In the case of aluminium alloys contain- I ing' an appreciable or substantial percentage of zinc, such as the aluminium and zinc i alloy containing from 65 to 97 per cent. of aluminium content, we have found that the alumino-thermic reaction takes place, and may be carried out in the well known way; and that this reaction is successfully performed without any untoward effect or circumstances which prevent commercially the use of such aluminium alloys for the purposes in question, and that the heat generated, due to the alumino-thermic reaction is suificiently great to volatilize the majority or all of the zinc which may be contained in the said aluminium-zinc alloy, and in this form will pass ofi into the atmosphere, and

not remain in any appreciable quantity in the resultant metal or alloy produced by the process.

When using aluminium zinc alloy, the zinc may also enter into the reaction to some extent, reducing the oxid or compound of metal under treatment; in which case, such a material as zinc oxld would be drlven off,

or pass into the slag which is produced by I the process.

- It is to be understood that inall cases the aluminium alloy reducing medium used, will be in a powdered, granulated, or an equivalent small form. It is also to be stated, that in carrying out the manufacture of metals or alloys according to this invention, at the part of the body or charge of the mixed materials, which are to undergo reaction, at the locality or localities of initiatlon of the reaction, the aluminium alloy may be in powdered or fine state of division, and mixed with the other powdered or granulated metallic substances to be operated upon while through the rest of the charge, or mixture, the aluminium alloy reducin medium may be in larger form, viz., granu ar or in small ieces.

Although the aluminium alloys such as mentioned used in the carrying out of the manufacture of the metals, alloys, or ferroalloys referred to, may be melted up, and cast into a convenient form as in ingots, and such ingots or castings owdered or granulated, so as to bringt e aluminium alloy into a suitably divided or small form for carrying out the process, we have found that the same results may be generally obtained by taking quantitieso alloy turnings, borings, or the like, (which materials are collectively known and classified in the trade under the general term of swat-f),

,and grinding, crushing, or otherwise disintegrating the aluminium swarf by suitable machinery to a pulverulent or more or less small form ofdivi'sion; the material working well and satisfactorily under this treatment. I y

Where the swarf may be contaminated with impurities, such as oil, flooring sweep; ings, or other extraneous matter, which may have become mixed with it, by reason of the .used which has from about 65 to 9 generally are more brittle than commercially pure aluminium, and thus their use is advantageous in that it is easier to bring them down to the required small state.

The use therefore of swarf treated as described, that is, broken down or crushed into the state of division required, is a factor in itself in the -cheapening of the production or manufacture of metals, alloys, or ferroalloys as referred to, by reason of the factthat it is not necessary, at least in all cases, to first re-melt the aluminium alloy, and sub sequently granulate or powder it.

While the direct applicationt and use of swarf has been specified as being a form of the aluminium alloy used under this invention, as the reducing metal or medium for the manufactures specified, other forms of aluminium alloy scrap may be also used in the like manner, such as sheet cuttings, wire or cable cuttin s, and other similar forms of aluminium a1 0y scrap which may be used direct in the manner and for the purpose stated. Machine and motor car parts and other similar forms of aluminium alloy scrap may also be so used,- but if so desired, they may be first completely melted, and then reground or granulated or disintegrated.

Would be recovered and pass into the composition of the alloy being so produced. Similarly, Where an appreciable quantity of copper would be regarded as an impurity or disadvantageous, aluminium scrap or swarf 'contalnmg a preponderance of zinc as the metal alloy of the, aluminium would be advantageous.

Such aluminium swarf or scra may be per cent.

or mor of aluminium content, the balance being composed mainly. of zinc, copper iron, etc., in various proportions, with 0' course, traces or small percentages sometimes of manganese, magnesium, silicon, or

"metal or alloy to be produced is reduced with difficulty, it may befound that the chemical activity of the aluminium alloy is not sufficient to satisfactory carry out the reduction operation, in which case we substitute for a part of the aluminium alloy,

pure metallic aluminium, magnesium, silicon, or the like.

Such herein referred to may be preheated for the purpose of promoting the satisfactory reaction.

What is claimed is 1. The herein described process, which consists in mixing a finely divided alloy of a reducing metal and zinc with a finely divided metal compound to be reduced, heating the mass for effecting the reaction, and utilizing the heat from the reaction to vaporize ofi" substantially all of the zinc whereby the resultant alloy or metal will be substantially free from traces of the zinc.

2. The herein described process, which consists in mixing a finely divided alloy ofalumino-thermic mixtures as are a reducing metal and zinc with finely divided metal compound to be reduced and a reducing metal in the metallic form, heating the mass for effecting the reaction, and

utilizing the heatfrom the reaction to va-.

porize off substantially all of the zinc whereby the resultant alloy or metal will be substantially free from traces of the zinc.

3. The herein described process, which consists in preheating a finely divided alloy containing a reducing metal to clean the same, further dividing the alloy, mixing the alloy thus treated with a metal compound to be produced, and heating the mass to effect the reaction.

4. The herein described process, which consists in introducing a mass of' aluminium alloy in the presence of a metallic compound to be reduced, the aluminium alloy being divided and that portion thereof which action' being of a finer sub-division, and heating the mass to effect the reaction.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.-

WILLIAM LAWRENCE TURNER. HAROLD ALEXANDRE BLACKWELL. Witnesses:

A. M. HANNAY, SoMnRvILLE GOODALL.

is utilized for starting the re-. 

